Founders’ America is foundering
By Clonnie Yearout
Imagine for a moment the presidential inauguration taking place in Washington,D.C., next month. President Barack Obama is delivering his second inaugural speech, and behind him sits his newly elected vice president, Willard Mitt Romney. Romney is replacing John McCain, who served as vice president during Obama’s first administration.
Sound far-fetched? Not at the nation’s beginning. George Washington’s vice president was John Adams of Massachusetts, the man who had garnered the second-highest number of votes in the electoral college. Adams was a Federalist, and while Washington claimed no party affiliation, the new nation still had a vice president who had been the president’s closest challenger in the election.
Yearout, of Roanoke, is a retired public employee.
December 26, 2012 - 6:15 AM
I enjoyed reading this. I also share with you a real concern for the future of the republic. But this being the day after Christmas, let’s think positive for a moment. I submit the elections of 1800, 1824, 1828, 1848, 1856, 1860 1876, 1912, both 1932 and 1936, 1952, 1960 and 1968. These are my personal favorites, but there are a few others that are also noteworthy. We managed to come out the other side not much worse for the wear and tear. Sometimes it helps to take the long view.
Mr. Obama is pushing as hard as he can for HIS healthcare. HIS way of life for us. When will it stop? A high percent of Americans can’t put food on their table & HE and his family take a vacation that cost taxpayors millions of dollars (right here at the fiscal cliff)Doesn’t anyone feel like they’re taking it in the shorts with this guy in office? Oh and how about the F-16 fighters and tanks HE is sending to Egypt? Oh yeah, did I mention HE’s GIVING those to Egypt and according to Mr. Obama they aren’t even on our side! But Israel is and Egypt wants to get rid of them, with our tanks and F-16′s. So here we are. Fiscal cliff, friends in Israel, OUR money and a man who is taking so many liberties we should all be up in arms. We should all call our congressman and find out why this is happening. Oh and while you are to them, ask why they got raises, every year when they can’t even do their jobs! If they want to balance the budget they set term limits and go back to work in the environment they created! Members of the House and Senate (unless in the leadership) receive $174,000 a year. The Speaker of the House receives $223, 500, and the heads of both Parties in each branch of the legislature recieves $193,400 a year. That is pathetic when 46% of them are millionaires. They get inside info to do insider trading. They take money from companies to do their bidding. And America is left out in the cold, literally! We should all be up in arms over this. This sickens me that we work so hard and our nation has been downgraded because of Obama. 1st black president, and 1st one to ruin our nation. Hmm makes you wonder doesn’t it? He should take lessons from Lincoln and actually give a crap about the people he took an oath to SERVE. After all, HE and all of congress and the senate, they work for US, we pay them. Let us not forget that. So call your congressman, the whitehouse and find out why they are wasting our money.
Ms. Godwin, if the members of congress are doing the bidding of companies (something I agree with), perhaps you should direct your anger at those companies instead of our government? If they are merely the product of our system, perhaps the system should be blamed instead?
” … Adams and Jefferson’s friendship survived the bitterly partisan political battles fought by their supporters.”
Actually, the friendship between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson didn’t survive their political battles. Both men considered themselves bitter enemies for many years. It was not until some time after Jefferson left the White House that he and Adams began to repair their friendship in one of the most extraordinary letter exchanges in history.
I agree political parties today cause many of the issues we face, or at least do little to help matters, but I question the “Good Old Days” view. In my own reading of American history–and with the exception of George Washington’s election–I have found politics has always been a full-contact, bloody business. Perhaps not literally, but certainly figuratively.
The founders America started “foundering” almost before the ink was dry. Passionate people will always disagree on a path forward. Add the influence of money to gain election (a politician’s life blood) and you have what we have; pols who serve two masters and one of us is being served well and one very. very, badly.
Pretending the horrid Congress is the fault of Obama takes partisan to a whole new level of wrong. Even a veto has Congressional override. Start blaming the real culprits here and we might have a chance to change things.
But George Washington left office and went back to WORK! He did not rely on our tax dollars to support him for the rest of his life. He did not make decisions that were so regretful he couldn’t live with them, because he knew he had to live with them. Obama will be taken care of by our taxes and the taxes of our children and grandchildren. How sad some people think that is ok. Sure would be nice if all companies had to pay their employees full salary, plus insurance, plus perks for life! Again, look how many folks are out of work, cant even put food on the table and Obama goes to Hawaii where tax payers have to pay millions! It took 2 planes to get them and their vehicles and employees there. Just to leave early, knowing there was a fiscal cliff coming up! What a waste of our money! And poor Michell how upset she must be!
#5 – “Start blaming the real culprits here and we might have a chance to change things.”
OK, Sandi, here ya go.
The Democrat controlled Senate had not produced a budget in over 3-1/2 years! A budget they are required to produce!
I’ll stand by awaiting the outrage.
They can’t produce a budget, if they dont know how. THe Federal government hasnt even paid payroll taxes in like 4 years! So in a few years someone will be screaming there isnt enough Social Security or other program funds, thats because the federal government took the money out of my check and thousants of other federal employees checks but never turned it in, they kept it. So as has ben said before, The real culprits are congress, the president and senate. They continue to find ways to use our tax dollars, some of which are not even legal yet they get away with it. Congress can even commit a felony and keep their federal pension. What?? Yep, that’s right. Make money on tips and the only one who goes to jail is Martha Stewart. Term limits would help keep our politicians honest, more honest anyway. And we should be able to vote on whether they get a raise or not. And the president should not walk away with full pay for life and perks. He should have to go back to work just like anyone else leaving a job. Give him a pension that HE pays into and go from there. Talk about paying down or debt! Get off the couch and do some good for our fair country. Dont make the death of all the servicemen and women for nothing. Keep us free because what Obama is doing is not keeping us free. Just keep reading and reading. We are headed for socialism, of the worst kind.
I agree with Sallie Godwin. We must protect ourselves from liars and theives. And what we have on Capital Hill are nothing short of high paid theives, paid with our stolen money,taken from our taxes, used for all kinds of foolish shananagans. Our forfathers would certainly roll over in their graves. They werent perfect but they cared about the people. Most of our congress care about themselves. The healthcare reform is nothing but reforming their pocketbooks, they get allll kinds of money from that plan and business either stop giving their employees insurance and pay the fine (which is cheaper) or they go out of business all together. Another part of the healthcare…25 hours and you dont have to pay healthcare, so, employers are dropping hours and just hiring more people at 25 hours or less so yep, unemployment may have gone up a bit but our people are still under-employed. So they still need to be on welfare, it seems that is what Obama wants too. He removed the cap on that. You can have welfare as long as you want it, you dont even have to get a job anymore. And with allthe cut hours, they dont have the time to check on all the folks who are living with their boy friends, parents, sisters, uncles, etc. So, there is usually a lot more income than reported but no one knows it, not enough hours, only 25 a week, remember.
Doesn’t anyone think this is sad? doesn’t any one wish we had another president, another congress? They all need to be impeached. I work too hard for my money to let millionaires just grab it away.
@6 Ms. Godwin, Washington did not go back to work as he didn’t have to. Remember he was a slave owner. He had people to work for him. It may be true he was “self sufficient” but times change. Then, they had only the post. Now we have instant communications. Then they had muskets. Today we have assault rifles and .50 caliber sniper rifles. Then, no cars or planes, now we do. Then, no nuclear weapons, now, a president who travels with the nuclear “football”.
You can’t apply the same standards of the time of Washington to today.
You also mention companies and think it would be nice if they paid living wages, etc. I agree. In the days of FDR, he said if the private couldn’t or wouldn’t produce the jobs necessary during the great depression, the government would. And they did! And we’re still benefiting from Social Security, the national parks system, the Blue Ridge Parkway, etc.
Our government is capable of doing great good if we’re willing to fund it.
So rather than tear down President Obama, maybe you should ask why there isn’t a federal jobs program.
sounds to me like you are all for giving to those to are to lazy to work! I have a feeling Romney was not elected because his theme was he wanted to put people back to work and Obama had just recently taken the 2 year cap off of welfare, allowing folks to sit on their butts and NOT go back to work, use tax money just to get HIS vote. How sad he had to resort to those tactics when he could have said everyone is taking a pay cut because we are doing you all a diservice! We know you all are suffering and we want to help. 203K is too much when there is 10% unemployment. But no he didn’t. He only tries to take cuts from US. Give to Egypt so they can hurt our friends and well you know the rest of the story! I just pray for our country because it is going in the wrong directionin a hurry!And for those who don’t know their history, Washington DID go back to work: The last years at Mount Vernon were busy and happy ones. The management of his farms and estates took a great deal of Washington’s time and energy. He had other responsibilities as director of the bank at Alexandria, Va., and as officer or director of various land companies. In 1798 President John Adams appointed Washington lieutenant general in command of a United States army that was to be raised in expectation of war with France. The fear of war faded, however, and Washington never took command. So you see, he may have been a slave owner but he was not afraid of work, unlike A lot of Americans today.
Amen!
Not a problem! You’ve got it right Godwin.
There is a lot of “sad” here.
Were you sad to pay for Reagan until he died? Bush Sr.? He had one term and has lived to 88 so far. Bush Jr? Why only for Obama is that an issue for you? You tell on yourself. The system was not created by Obama and you deciding the system needs to change because he will benefit from it is just plain ugly.
Spreading misinformation and being willfully ignorant of facts is a sad way to live.
Point taken Michael. Only, keep standing. Where have we operated on continuing resolutions before…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuing_resolution
There is literally nothing new under this sun, you all just hate Obama so it bothers you now. That is really all there is to it.
BTW, people who do want jobs cannot find them, where is it you think all these “lazy” people you know are going to be able to go to work?
@11 Ms. Godwin, thank you for correcting me on George Washington. I didn’t know he did all that after the presidency.
Now my chance to help you learn something new. You talk about the unemployed as if they’re all lazy and don’t want to work. Even if everyone currently unemployed wanted to work, there aren’t enough jobs available. Right now there are 3 unemployed persons for ever job opening. Assuming skills and education requirements all matched up and we filled every vacancy, we’d still have a lot of unemployed Americans.
And when you consider the vast majority of employment is in the private sector AND that the federal government has been shedding jobs, it seems to me if any organization should be blamed for unemployment, it should be the private sector companies.
They’re simply not creating enough jobs for everyone to work.
Given this commentary and comments on the Founders and how we NOW seem to be foundering from our moorings, I wonder if people really know their history as they claim? This book certainly begs an examination of that:
http://www.amazon.com/A-Renegade-History-United-States/dp/B004VD3YZA
He also wrote this thought provoking piece for HuffPo:
http://www.ems.ucsb.edu/people/rightmire/ling3c/Russel2_F2010.pdf
“During the War of Independence a culture of pleasure and freedom blossomed in American cities… …Rarely have Americans had more fun. And never have America’s leaders been less pleased by it.
…“Indeed, there is one enemy, who is more formidable than famine, pestilence and the sword,” John Adams wrote. “I mean the corruption which is prevalent in so many American hearts, a depravity that is more inconsistent with our republican governments than light is with darkness.”
…The Founding Fathers hoped that self-rule would cure Americans of their love of frivolities. A government of the people, John Adams argued, would make the people disciplined, stern, hard-working, and joyless—the qualities he most admired. It would “produce Strength, Hardiness Activity, Courage, Fortitude and Enterprise; the manly noble and Sublime Qualities in human Nature, in Abundance.” Adams understood that democracy forced the people to shed their pleasures and surrender their personal freedom, because they alone would shoulder the responsibility of managing society.
“Under a well regulated Commonwealth, the People must be wise, virtuous and cannot be otherwise. Under a Monarchy they may be as vicious and foolish as they please, nay, they cannot but be vicious and foolish. … Virtue and Simplicity of Manners are indispensably necessary in a Republic among all orders and Degrees of Men. But there is so much Rascallity, so much Venality and Corruption, so much Avarice and Ambition such a Rage for Profit and Commerce among all Ranks and Degrees of Men even in America, that I sometimes doubt whether there is public Virtue enough to Support a Republic.”
Methinks some folks have forgotten where we actually did come from. Or what real “Authoritarians” those Founders were. And that far from never sacrificing our personal freedom, our Republic would require it evermore.